Child&#39;s rattle



M h 4, 1941. F. M. HOOVER 37 CH'ILDS BATTLE Filed Aug. 2, 1939 INVENTORPatented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 2,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in childrens rattles that consistof a plurality of plates of resonant and highly elastic material looselystrung upon a flexible strand-like carrier.

In Letters Patent of the United States, 2,130,427, I have described sucha rattle, consisting of concavo-convex plates formed of ureaformaldehyde centrally perforate, with flanges surrounding theperforations upon the concave side, strung upon an endless chain ofbead-shaped links. My present invention is found in refinement in theshape of the plates of such a rattle.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. I is a view in side elevation of arattle that embodies the present invention; Fig. II is a view inperspective of one of the plates, as seen from the convex side; Fig. IIIis a view in section of one of the component plates; and Fig. IV is aview in ele vation of the back of one of the plates.

The rattle consists of a. plurality of identical perforate plates 1 (inthis case fourteen in number), strung upon a flexible strand-likecarrier (in this case an endless metal chain 2 of headshaped links).

The plates are identical in form; they are of such size as to afford aplaything that may readily be handled by a child and of such size as toforbid accidental swallowing. I find it best to make them about twoinches across. In details of shape they are preferably concavo-con- Vexand of circular outline, constituting in their shape (with furtherrefinements to be described) circular sections from spherical shells.They are preferably strung upon the chain 2, all facing the same way. Asshown in Fig. I, all are convex to the left.

The plates I are perforate for the passage of the organizing chain 2.The perforation 3, instead of being placed at the centre of the plate(as in my earlier patent named), is eccentric in position, and near theperiphery. The perforation is encircled by a flange 4 whose rim extendsin a plane parallel with the plane in which the rim of the plate extends(cf. Fig. III) but it does not rise from the concave face of the plateas far as to the plane of the rim; and, as will be perceived oncomparing Figs. III and IV, it is in this instance an incomplete flange,of greatest height toward the centre of the plate, of diminishing heighttoward the rim, and merging in the general surface of the plate anddisappearing before complete encirclement of the perforation.

The plate is embossed with a design 5 that .,5 rises in relief upon theconvex surface; and

this design may be such as to be attractive to a childthe design of adog, for example, or the ill 1939, Serial No. 287,943

designs on the several disks may be of different animals or birds orother attractive figures. It will be noted that the body of each disk isoffset from the surface of the sphere to which it conforms, providing inthe disk body on its concave side a recess 50. The recess corresponds inposition within the concave side of the disk to the design rising inrelief from the convex side of the disk. While the provision of suchrecess may simplify the molding of the disk, -"the principal &

utility of the recess is found in the fact that it augments theresonance of the disk and the rattle, and thus co-operates with thefeatures above described in gaining the desired ends.

The plates are made of resonant,'highly elastic material, typically ureaformaldehyde.

When the rattle is picked up by the chain and held suspended the platesgravitate to approximately parallel and aligned positions; they bear oneupon another at their upper edges and with the flange of one plateengaging the convex surface of the next adjacent plate; and from suchregion of abutment they flare apart downwardly. The embossed areas ofsurface stand apart. When the rattle then is shaken the adjacent platesstrike one another over areas of small extentareas that are diminishedsubstantially to points, as distinguished from surfaces, of contact;and, since normally the plates stand apart, the plates come to suchpoints of contact under some appreciable impulse or momentum; and theresult and effect are that the rattling is enhanced in resonance andloudness, and the plaything rendered more interesting and attractive.

Metal and urea formaldehyde are preferred materials, because thesurfaces may be of a high degree of smoothness, and the rattle soconstituted may without injury or loss of brilliance of appearance besterilized in boiling water. Urea formaldehyde being essentiallycolorless, bright color in pleasing variety may be given to thecomponent plates of the rattle.

I claim as my invention:

A child's rattle comprising a plurality of resonant disks strung looselyupon a flexible strand-like carrier, each disk including adjacent to itsrim a perforation through which in the assembly the carrier extends, thedisk carrying an outstanding flange at the rim of the perforation, thebody of the disk bearing on one side a design that rises in relief andincluding in substantially corresponding position on the opposite side arecess, whereby, when the rattle is agitated, the disks clash undermomentum at points of contact with maximum resonance.

FRANK M. HOOVER.

